GoodtoKnow's Deputy Editor and mum of three Heid Scrimgeour tested the Smart Ball Kick Tracker with the help of her 10-year-old daughter Alba. Here she shares her experience and verdict on whether this toy is worth buying.
Touted as one of the best toys of 2024 by industry experts, the Smart Ball Kick Tracker is designed to help budding footie fans practice their keepie-uppie skills and track their progress.
Here Heidi and Alba give you all you need to know about this new toy, and highlight why it made it on to our list of the top Christmas toys.
What is the Smart Ball Kick Tracker?
"The Smart Ball Kick Tracker is a mini football with a built-in counter that tracks the number of keepie uppies you can do. It provides instant feedback which motivates kids to keep improving and try to beat their previous score," explains Heidi. "One of the best things about it is its simplicity. The counter is clearly displayed, and the ball itself is lightweight, durable, and easy to handle."
When it comes to age suitability, this toy is aimed at kids from the age of six, and Heidi thinks there is a sweet spot: "It's an entertaining and motivating item for younger players. It’s perfect for kids who are just getting into football and want a fun way to practice their skills."
When it comes to setting up the tracker, it's definitely child-friendly: "Set up is super easy and minimal set up and, yes, a kid could do it by themselves although it's more fun with an adult acting impressed at their keepie uppies."
What's the Kick Tracker like to play with?
"It's super appealing because kids can clearly see the item and the track counter, it's not all hidden away in packaging, plus most football-loving kids have seen YouTubers play with this so it has got kudos," says Heidi. "The play experience is really fun, you just clip it to your clothing and start your keepie uppies while the counter ticks away. It's really motivational, the determination to beat your previous score is high!"
However, older children who are more skilled ball players may find the kick tracker has some limitations. Heidi adds: "It's not perfectly accurate in counting each touch, which gets frustrating, and means the novelty wears off quite quickly, especially for older children or more experienced players who aren't challenged enough. Also, it’s worth noting that the ball is slightly smaller than a standard football, which might not appeal to everyone - confident players would prefer to just practice with a real ball and count for themselves."
Does it offer good value for money?
In Heidi's opinion, the Smart Ball Kick Tracker definitely offers good value for money: "It's tricky to find a football gift or toy for less then £20, so this is the perfect birthday or Christmas pressie for a footie-loving kid." As well as the affordable price tag, this kick tracker is great for encouraging an active lifestyle for kids from a young age, a habit that they can take with them into adulthood. Ten-year-old Alba also added that the smaller sized football is actually really helpful for developing better ball control.
If you are looking for a gift for an older, more confident player, this might be a little too simplistic and the novelty might wear off quite soon, especially that the tracker isn't may miscount. Heidi says: "It’s a little bit disappointing because it's not perfectly accurate and will still count it as a keepie uppie if it just hits off your leg or the furniture.
We expected it to be great fun but a bit short lived because our tester is 10 and a confident player, so we think it's definitely better suited to a younger kid or less experienced player." Resetting the counter also seemed to take a while. It should take 10 seconds, but according to Heidi and Alba's testing, they found it took longer.
However, for younger kids building their skills from scratch, this is a really fun way for them to build their skills, track their success, and improve on previous scores.
You might also like...
For more toy reviews, check out our thoughts on the Really Real Puppy from Little Live Pets, the De'longhi coffee machine toy and this Pati School crafting set.
